Manila Metro Rail Transit System
The Manila Metro Rail Transit System (also known as Manila MRT or MRT) is one of the two rapid transit systems serving Metro Manila in the Philippines along with the Manila Light Rail Transit System (Manila LRT). It originally began as a single line (Line 3) that was first opened in 1999 and became fully operational by the year 2000. Since then, most of the newly proposed rapid rail lines within Metro Manila that are not under the jurisdiction of the Light Rail Transit Authority is associated with the "MRT" brand. This includes the underground Line 9 and the elevated Line 7 which are being built as of July 2019. Overview There is currently only one light metro/light rail line in operation but there are two heavy rail lines under construction. In recent years, there are proposals to extend the system. The system is intended to have five lines as of 2019, with 49 stations across 96.1 kilometers (59.7 miles) of track. Almost all lines are given odd numbers except for Line 8. During peak hours, Line 3 fields 16 trains at most; the time interval between the departure of one and the arrival of another, called headway, is a minimum of 7 minutes. The line is open from 5:30 a.m. PST (UTC+8) until 11:00 p.m. on weekdays, and 5:30 a.m. PST (UTC+8) until 10:00 pm during weekends and holidays. It operates almost every day of the year unless otherwise announced. History Background Line 3 (1989 - 2000) The Line 3 project (originally known as the LRT-3) officially began in 1989, five years after the opening of the Line 1, with the Hong Kong-based EDSA LRT Corporation winning the public bidding for the line's construction during the term of President Corazon Aquino. However, construction could not commence, with the project stalled as the Philippine government conducted several investigations into alleged irregularities with the project's contract. Construction began on October 15, 1996, with a BLT agreement signed between the Philippine government and the MRTC. An amended turnkey agreement was later signed on September 16, 1997 with a consortium of companies (including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Sumitomo Corporation. A separate agreement was signed with CKD Dopravny Systemy (ČKD Tatra, now part of Siemens AG), the leading builder of trams and light rail vehicles for the Eastern Bloc, on rolling stock. MRTC also retained the services of ICF Kaiser Engineers and Constructors to provide program management and technical oversight of the services for the design, construction management, and commissioning. During construction, the MRTC oversaw the design, construction, equipping, testing, and commissioning, while the DOTC oversaw technical supervision of the project activities covered by the BLT contract between the DOTC and MRTC. The DOTC also sought the services of Systra, a French consultant firm, with regards to the technical competence, experience and track record in the construction and operations. On December 15, 1999, the initial section from North Avenue to Buendia was inaugurated by President Joseph Estrada, with all remaining stations opening on July 20, 2000, a little over a month past the original deadline. However, ridership was initially far below expectations when the line was still partially open, with passengers complaining of the tickets' steep price and the general lack of connectivity of the stations with other modes of public transportation. Although the MRTC projected 300,000-400,000 passengers riding the system daily, in the first month of operation the system saw a ridership of only 40,000 passengers daily. By early 2015, the system was carrying around 550,000 commuters during weekdays and was often badly overcrowded during peak times of access during the day and night. Line 5 (2018 - 2025) The Makati Intra-City Subway Line 5 is an 11-kilometer (6.8 miles) proposed underground rapid transit line to be located in Makati, Metro Manila, that will link establishments across the city's business district. Proponents of the subway began construction in December 2018, and Makati Mayor Abigail Binay projects completion by the year 2025. It will also have eleven stations, with connections to the existing Line 3, the Pasig River Ferry Service, and the under construction Line 9. Line 7 (2008 - 2020) Line 7 is an under-construction rapid transit line in Metro Manila, Philippines. When completed, the line will be 22.8 kilometers long serviced by 14 stations. The line runs in a northeast-southwest direction, beginning at San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan up to the under-construction North Avenue Grand Central station located in North Avenue, Quezon City. According to the latest update, the project is 40.44% complete as of February 28, 2019. Line 8 (2016 - present) Manila Metro Rail Transit System Line 8 is a proposed rapid transit line in Metro Manila, Philippines. It will be a nine-kilometer railway system connecting Sampaloc, Manila and Diliman, Quezon City via, Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon Avenue, and España Boulevard. The unsolicited proposal for the project was submitted to the Philippine government in 2016, and is awaiting for approval by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA). Line 9 (1973 - 2025) Manila Rapid Transit Railway System (1973 - 1977) The idea of a subway network in Metro Manila had been forwarded as early as 1973, when the Overseas Technical Cooperation Agency or OTCA and former Secretary of Public Works and Highways David Consunji conducted a study on what shall later be Metro Manila (that was formally constituted on November 7, 1975). It was also proposed to be part of the 1977 Metroplan, which even received approval from the World Bank. However, the plan was not included and implemented, for some of the areas included in the plan, such as Marikina and Cainta, are prone to flooding. Instead, what was built was the Manila Light Rail Transit System Line 1, opened on December 1, 1984 and completed on May 12, 1985. Nevertheless, the current Manila Light Rail Transit System (mostly elevated) is shorter than the line system forwarded in 1973. The 1973 plan provided for the construction of five lines of the Manila Rapid Transit Railway System (or Manila RTR). If this plan had been carried out, it would have been completed by 1988, or four years after the opening of LRT Line 1. Metro Manila Subway (2019 - 2025) A fully underground rapid rail system in Metro Manila, initially named Mega Manila Subway, was proposed in the 2014 Metro Manila Dream Plan as a 57.7-kilometer line that would serve as the second north–south mass transit backbone for the newly expanded Greater Capital Region (the first being the PNR North-South Commuter Railway). Construction began on February 27, 2019, and is expected to finish by 2025. It is to be numbered Line 9 on future Manila Metro maps. The following phases of the subway project would involve extending lines up to San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, and down to Dasmariñas City, Cavite, south of Metro Manila. The entire system, when completed, will serve up to 1.74 million passengers daily. Reiwa Series The Return of Godzilla To be added. Stories of Manila To be added. Mothra: The Divine Moth To be added. Mothra vs. Bagan To be added. Gamera To be added. Gamera vs. Gyaos To be added. Rolling stock Currently, two train generations run in Line 3, the most recent one purchased from CRRC Dalian, under the Aquino administration. The Dalian train deployment was delayed due to several factors, including line incompatibility and production inconsistencies, which has since been in the process of correction. The trains currently run at the minimum of 30-40 kilometers per hour due to worn out railtracks, currently scheduled for replacement. Line 3 (MRTC Class 3000 to 3100) The system has 73 light rail vehicles (LRV) made in the Czech Republic by ČKD (now part of Siemens AG) in a three-car configuration, a number of which are now damaged due to poor maintenance since 2012 by the previous appointed contractor of DOTC (now DOTr). Trains have a capacity of 1,182 passengers, which is smaller than the normal capacity of Line 1 first generation rolling stock, although trains came with air conditioning. However, due to poor maintenance by the previous maintenance contractors, the line currently operates with 7-10 minute headways under the DOTr orders, and the system's passenger volume is presently closer to 14,000–18,000 passengers per hour per direction. Line 7 The line will be operated with 108 rail cars in a three-car configuration. Hyundai Rotem was awarded a $440.2 million contract to supply 108 metro cars, which will be configured into 36 train sets (3-6 cars per train). The contractual scope also includes signalling, communications and power supplies for the metro line. As of June 2018, 45 out of 108 train cars have been completed and cannot be delivered from South Korea due to the non-availability of a depot. Line 9 While the line itself is not yet in operation, the requirements for the rolling stock in accordance to the projected design are already available. Average train speed is expected to be at 80 kilometers per hour (Line 1 trains run at the average speed of 40 kilometers per hour). Trains will consist of six cars, with a capacity of 412 passengers per car, each car projected to cost US$2.5 million (124.5 million pesos as of 2017). Depots Line 3 maintains an underground depot in Quezon City, near North Avenue station. On top of the depot is TriNoma, a shopping mall owned by the Ayala Corporation. The depot occupies 84,444 square meters (908,948 square feet) of space and serves as the headquarters for light and heavy maintenance, as well as the operations of the system in general. It is connected to the mainline network by a spur line. The depot is capable of storing 81 light rail vehicles, with the option to expand to include 40 more vehicles as demand arises. They are parked on nine sets of tracks, which converge onto the spur route and later on to the main network. However, a lot of rail tracks for storage inside the depot were taken by DOTr to repair broken rails, as DOTr's appointed maintenance provider did not purchase spare rails. Line 7's depot will be located before San Jose del Monte station. Ridership Line 3 The original designed ridership of the line is 450,000, yet as the years passed, the number doubled to as much as 650,000 in 2012-2013, due to the time consumed when commuting via EDSA, as well as the speed of the trains reaching up to 60 kilometres per hour (37 miles per hour), and connectivity to Metro Manila's major transport hubs and central business districts. Safety and security The line has always presented itself as a safe system to travel in, which was affirmed in a 2004 World Bank paper prepared by Halcrow describing the overall state of metro rail transit operations in Manila as being "good". Operating over capacity since 2004, government officials have admitted that capacity and system upgrades are overdue, although the DOTr (formerly DOTC) never acted on the numerous capacity expansion proposals of the private owners. Incidents and accidents Line 3 On August 13, 2014, a train at the Taft Avenue station became derailed and overshot to the streets. First, the train stopped after leaving Magallanes station (the station before the Taft Avenue station) due to a technical problem. Later, the train broke down, so that a following train was used to push the stalled train. During this process, however, the first train was detached from the rails and overshot towards Taft Avenue, breaking the concrete barriers and falling to the street below. At least 38 people were injured. On November 14, 2017, 24-year-old Angeline Fernando, a student from Pasay City lost her right arm in an accident at the Ayala station in Makati City, after she alighted from the train when she felt dizzy and fell on to the station's tracks. Doctors re-attached her arm. Only two days later after the said freak accident at Ayala station, on November 16, 2017, at 11:30 AM, at least 140 passengers were evacuated from a "detached train" coach between the railway lines of Buendia and Ayala stations. Gallery Videos MRT 3 derailed, injuries reported Aircon leak causes 'rain' inside MRT3 Human error suspected in MRT accident UB - Braso ng babaeng naaksidente sa MRT Ayala Station, naikabit na muli ng mga doktor Doctors successfully reattached severed arm to a woman after MRT train accident How medical intern helped save woman in freak MRT accident Photos Category:Real World